12 
The Natural History of British Ducks 
and insects which generally harbour round and about the roots, and the ducks 
judiciously avail themselves of so pleasant and handy a meal. Later in the 
year, too, they may often be seen with their half-grown broods leaving the 
water and busily pursuing the , same quest, though at that time the expedition 
is by no means without danger, for vermin of various sorts are then about, 
and apt to turn to their own account the example set by the ducks. I once 
found a whole family of ducks — ten of them — massacred by one or more stoats 
or other vermin. 
Beyond a doubt the most destructive and persistent persecutors of the 
young and eggs of the wild duck are the carrion and hooded crows, who 
annually cause greater havoc than all the other vermin put together. On 
Loch Leven these pests are especially numerous. Mr. P. D. Malloch, who 
constantly fishes there, tells me that one day he saw a carrion crow remain 
for an hour perched on a dead tree, beneath which was a wild duck sitting 
on her nest. During this time the crow three times attacked the duck and 
endeavoured to drive her off the nest by swooping down and pecking at her ; 
but each attempt was frustrated by the gallant little duck standing up on her 
nest and presenting her breast to the foe. A single-handed encounter like this 
is undoubtedly rare, for carrion crows nearly always hunt in pairs ; and then 
their cunning and dexterity in engaging a mother with young ones nearly 
always meets with success, the duck being too clumsy in her movements to 
defend all points of attack. 
For many years past two pairs of carrion crows have annually nested on 
the north and south sides of the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens. During 
the summer they live almost exclusively by their forays on the eggs and 
young of the London ducks, and being unmolested are very bold and syste- 
matic in their attacks. One day a pair came and harassed a family party 
quite close to me, thus affording me an interesting insight into their mode of 
procedure. Mr. Crow advanced, hopping and flitting close to the mother and 
young ducks, and soon succeeded in getting the former to chase him ; mean- 
while, quick as thought, Mrs. Crow pounced upon a youngster and made ofT. 
